Ontwikkeling van lichamelijke beperking in het verleden mede bepalend voor huidige participatie op de arbeidsmarkt.

Because of future shortages in the labour market due to an ageing population, it is important that the maximum number of people in the Netherlands remains in work and that fewer people drop out of the labour force. People with physical disabilities participate less frequently in the labour market in comparison with other Dutch citizens. Previous research shows a great variety in labour participation among people with physical disabilities depending on the nature and severity of the disability. We examined whether the time of onset and the development of the physical disabilities also have an impact on labour participation. For our study we used data from a 2009 national questionnaire among a representative sample of people with physical disabilities (response 87%, n=992 people aged 15 to 64 years), in which we asked supplementary retrospective questions about the onset and development of their disabilities. Results show that, regardless of the nature and severity of the current disability and after correction for sociodemographic factors, people with disabilities which have worsened over time participate less often in the labour market. The time of onset of the disability has no effect on current labour participation. (aut. ref.